Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1537616
30 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2025 T H E C H E M I CA L C O N N ECT I O N Sales Organization from a Capital Equipment Perspective by D on B all, C hemcut The sales organization for a capital equipment supplier to the PCB industry tends to differ slightly from a supplier that manufactures and sells cir- cuit boards to their customers. After all, our sales depend on the printed circuit board manufactur- er's sales. If business falls off, you tend to delay or reconsider the need for new or upgraded capital equipment, and then our sales fall off. If your sales go up and you need to increase capacity or replace old equipment, our sales also trend upwards. Interestingly, all business cycles experience peaks and valleys—peaks as demand rises and sales pick up, and valleys when demand is satisfied and sales decrease. Capital equipment suppliers see the same peaks and valleys but offset by three or more months. So, what is the best sales organiza- tion and approach for a capital equipment supplier in which sales depend on their customers' sales? Over the years, our first contact has cycled among direct sales representatives, employ- ees with responsibilities for assigned territories, and independent sales reps who may represent several suppliers within their territory. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, but our experience has shown that we get better coverage with independent sales reps who tend to be in and out of shops more often, representing other suppliers as well as us (chemicals, drills, etch